Gay & Away October: Montréal, Quebec

Montréal is known for being one of the sexiest cities in Canada. It's also a thriving hub for art, culture, food, and just plain relaxing. Fortunately for us, writer Daniel Baylis loves all those things (with emphasis on the sexy) and offers you his picks for what's hot in any given month.

October is a biggie. Not only does Canadian Thanksgiving fall in this month, but it also marks the legendary Black & Blue party. But not everyone wants to dance for a solid 24 hours... We don't know who they are, but we know they exist. So Daniel has also offered some wonder leisure destinations to fit any appetite.

Make friends with Daniel on Facebook or Twitter. And make sure to check out more of his writing and recommendations on his Montréal travel blog!

Want to let people know about the Top Picks in your city? Email us!

THE ULTIMATE DANCE PARTY

BLACK & BLUE
October 6 – 12

The annual Montreal Black & Blue Festival is one of the world’s great parties. It started back in 1991 as a simple fundraiser for HIV/AIDS related charities and has since become a full-fledged 7-day social, cultural, sports and party event that attracts thousands of people from around the globe to Montreal.

This year is the 20th anniversary of Black & Blue, and the organizational team is sparing no expense in throwing a grand shindig!

LGBT FILM FESTIVAL

IMAGE & NATION
October 28 – November 7

Pronounced “imagination” (but with a sultry French accent), this film festival has been offering Montreal the best of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans cinema for the past two decades. This year’s festival will feature over 100 gay and lesbian films (long and short) to nourish the creative queer mind.

Show times, like sexual orientations, vary.

EXPOSITION

 DENIS GAGNON
Beginning October 19

The Montreal Museum of Fine Art will host a retrospective exhibit highlighting the work of one of Canada’s leading creative talents: hometown homo Denis Gagnon. Recognized across the globe for his integrity in the international fashion community, Gagnon’s trademarks are his trendy black glasses and demure presence. Any gay with a penchant for fashion should not miss this.

COMEDY

MARGARET CHO
Saturday, October 23

Arguably the poster child for fag-hag-dom, the capricious Cho will be strapping it on and making sweet love to Montreal for one night only. This time through she’s bringing some songs with her, such as the family favorite, “Eat Shit and Die!”

If you’re a delicate gay, you’re fucked.

CUISINE

10 FAVORITE FRENCH RESTAURANTS
Let’s be honest, if you’re going to travel to Montreal, chances are you might want to eat some French baguette. We’ve nabbed a reputation as the “Paris” of North America and, travelers visit with certain expectations of cultural and culinary offerings dancing in their heads. Our crème sauces never disappoint!

My top picks are:

HOLDER
407 McGill Street
“A big, brash brasserie with loads of atmosphere and awfully good French food.”

O’THYM
1112 boul. de Maisonneuve East
“Classic French with local twists and outward-looking inspirations.”

LEMÉAC
1045 Laurier Avenue West
“There’s nothing more exciting to a food lover than walking into a new restaurant with a great location, a brilliant chef and a bustling ambience.”

CHEZ ALEXANDR et FILS
1454 Peel Street
“Not only the place is quite beautiful and the food excellent, but also the fries are worth the price of admission all by themselves.”

L’EXPRESS
3927 Rue St-Denis
“There’s no need to call attention to itself, since all of Montreal knows exactly where this most classic of Parisian-style bistros is.”

Le PARIS
1812 Sainte-Catherine West
“Nothing has changed much at Le Paris since the Poucant family opened it in 1950. And why should it?”

Le POIS PENCHÉ
1230 De Maisonneuve West
“The dining room is filled with leather banquettes, breezy planted palms and mirrored columns. There’s plenty of French crooning on the sound system.”

Le MARGAUX
5058 Parc Avenue
“It’s encouraging to see that a good measure of thought went into the planning and execution of dishes by injecting a little creativity into the mix.”

Les FILLES du ROY
405 Rue Bonsceours
“I was amazed by the beauty of the decor in each room of the restaurant, it was gorgeous!”

Au PETIT EXTRA
1690 Rue Ontario East
“Mostly locals, or tourists who know what’s up. Au Petit Extra met and went beyond my expectations.”

Read Daniel's full delicious descriptions of these restaurants on the Montréal Tourism blog.